European Commission: AWS and Microsoft Azure should be DMA gatekeepers

The Commission targets cloud giants

The European Commission has issued a preliminary decision that Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure should be designated as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). A gatekeeper is the term DMA uses for companies that control key digital access points in the EU and whose market power can block fair competition.

AWS is the largest and Azure the second-largest cloud provider in the European Union. The Commission emphasized that the designation applies even if both providers have not formally met all the quantitative thresholds set by the DMA — because they are recognized as critical gatekeepers for the entire European digital economy.

Why does this matter for AI?

Both clouds are the primary carriers of AI workloads in Europe — from LLM training to inference services for startups and corporate users. Gatekeeper status directly affects AI infrastructure by imposing interoperability obligations, prohibitions on certain exclusive terms, and pricing transparency. Unlike the previous situation — where AWS and Azure could more freely set terms — DMA status brings stricter requirements intended to reduce user lock-in (vendor lock-in).

What happens next?

Both companies have the right to present their defense before a final decision is made. Executive Vice-President of the Commission Teresa Ribera called for a level playing field for all cloud providers in the EU. The final decision is expected after a consultative process, and until then both companies hold preliminary designation status without formal obligations.

If the Commission confirms the decision, AWS and Azure will have to meet a range of DMA requirements — including facilitated data portability and bans on anti-competitive practices — which could restructure the European cloud and AI market.